Black Pine Seedling Cuttings

[Shibui]

Thicker foil is not so readily available down here, at least in my rural area. I had one 'caterer's jumbo' roll that was probably the same .024mm but haven't been able to buy it again. I will look for heavy duty and wider rolls.
Rolls are usually much wider than needed for the rocks I use so I generally fold in half lengthwise to give a double layer. Cut enough to wrap round the entire rock at least twice giving total 4 or more layers. Add more if you've managed to tear it on particularly sharp corners of the rock.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Thicker foil is not so readily available down here, at least in my rural area.

This is what our common brand looks like. Don't know if it is sold in Australia...

 

[River's Edge]

Cool idea - thanks Shibui! And I appreciate the link.

S

Hi Scot, i have been using raffia to tie the roots to the rock and bamboo or wooden depressors to hold down in cracks or crevices. One trick is to actually wrap the ticker roots in raffia as if wiring them and use that to help tie in place. The raffia rots in about six months to a year, so I retie them when repotting and checking the roots. This allows one to put a lot of pressure on the roots without cutting into the roots. It also does not prevent moisture or nutrients from reaching the roots.
In applying the raffia i prepare as if i was wrapping a branch. Select five strands tie end together and soak in warm water. Then tie to trunk at base and start by wrapping the thickest roots individually as if wiring. Take each root along the route you decide and tie at the bottom of the rock with raffia from the other side in the same bundle. I work the top down as tight as i can before securing the sides.
I went back to this traditional method after trying the Saran Wrap, foil wrap approaches. At least for me it gets better results.

 

[markyscott]

Parafilm under raffia works better than Saran Wrap.

I went back to this traditional method after trying the Saran Wrap, foil wrap approaches.

For the sake of clarity - I didn't use Saran Wrap. I used shipping film to firmly pack the roots to the rock. It's far sturdier than saran wrap - I use it regularly during collection and have kept collected plants alive in it for months after collection. It can hold up for a long time. That's no guarantee that it will work though - I like the rafia/parafilm ideas. We did discuss using rafia, but I hadn't thought of parafilm. Don't know why - there were about 20 rolls of it on the wall above my workbench...

Getting old I guess.

S

 

[River's Edge]

For the sake of clarity - I didn't use Saran Wrap. I used shipping film to firmly pack the roots to the rock. It's far sturdier than saran wrap - I use it regularly during collection and have kept collected plants alive in it for months after collection. It can hold up for a long time. That's no guarantee that it will work though - I like the rafia/parafilm ideas. We did discuss using rafia, but I hadn't thought of parafilm. Don't know why - there were about 20 rolls of it on the wall above my workbench...

Getting old I guess.

S

The stretch wrap used for shipping is great fro collection. I have never tried the raffia para film , but it makes sense, works well for grafting scions. I think i will try one next time i do a root over rock.

 

[0soyoung]

For the sake of clarity - I didn't use Saran Wrap. I used shipping film to firmly pack the roots to the rock. It's far sturdier than saran wrap - I use it regularly during collection and have kept collected plants alive in it for months after collection. It can hold up for a long time.

That is good, because shipping film is polyethylene that will transmit oxygen, Saran won't.

I like the rafia/parafilm ideas.

Both of these decompose fairly rapidly. I think your shipping film is better, so you shouldn't be ruing this, IMHO.

 

[markyscott]

That is good, because shipping film is polyethylene that will transmit oxygen, Saran won't.
Both of these decompose fairly rapidly. I think your shipping film is better, so you shouldn't be ruing this, IMHO.

Thanks 0so. I like the shipping film approach - might have been fun to try more than one thing for comparison sake, but I have a suspicion it will work well.

S

 

[Adair M]

Getting old I guess.

S

Oh no!!! Not you, too! I thought it was just me! It must be contagious!

 

[kingsville grower]

I have not. There aren't any that grow reliably in my area. I think that with white pine, they often graft it onto black pin root stock to improve the growth rates.

Scott

Japanese 5 needle pine seedling rooted cutting 12 radial roots, it works

 

[Drew]

I used clay instead if spagnham moss to hold the roots into the cracks and wrap with a stretchy black grafting tape which sticks to itself. I learnt I had to make sure there where no openings/cracks in the tape otherwise the roots will find there way out and you will have to cut them back like I had to.

2015 repot:

2017 repot:

2018 repot:


Not sure this would be a good idea for JBP roots though?

 

[markyscott]

I used clay instead if spagnham moss to hold the roots into the cracks and wrap with a stretchy black grafting tape which sticks to itself. I learnt I had to make sure there where no openings/cracks in the tape otherwise the roots will find there way out and you will have to cut them back like I had to.

2015 repot:
View attachment 222667
2017 repot:
View attachment 222668View attachment 222669View attachment 222670
2018 repot:
View attachment 222671View attachment 222672View attachment 222673

Not sure this would be a good idea for JBP roots though?

Nice work. Those roots look as though the are grasping the rock really well

 

[markyscott]

Pine #6: exposed root. Another crunch job. Sorry, but I forgot to take a before picture with this one. The trunk cracked a bit in a couple of places when I bent it. It was interesting that I really crunched the oldest wood (3-4 year wood) and it was fine. The two year old wood cracked. I wonder why? Anyway, here’s pine #6 after I worked it.

 

[Adair M]

Pine #6: exposed root. Another crunch job. Sorry, but I forgot to take a before picture with this one. The trunk cracked a bit in a couple of places when I bent it. It was interesting that I really crunched the oldest wood (3-4 year wood) and it was fine. The two year old wood cracked. I wonder why? Anyway, here’s pine #6 after I worked it.
View attachment 222743View attachment 222744View attachment 222745View attachment 222746View attachment 222747View attachment 222748

Ok, I understand the “crunch” wirings. But what’s up with the branches wired straight up? Sacrifices?

 

[markyscott]

Ok, I understand the “crunch” wirings. But what’s up with the branches wired straight up? Sacrifices?

After all the bending the branches were pointed straight down. I wired them up because I want another year of strong growth to set the bends and to help the tree recover from the heavy work. I have more than I need - many will end up being sacrifices, but I’ll keep them until I can see the exposed roots.

S

 

[DirkvanDreven]

Scott, how long do you keep the roots covered before you expose them?

 

[markyscott]

Scott, how long do you keep the roots covered before you expose them?

I’ll give it two more years. Then I’ll begin to uncover them. That’ll be a total of four years of growing before i opened it up. It’ll probably take 2-3 years to finish the job.

 

[markyscott]

July 2019 update. Seedling cuttings were taken in April 2015, so these are just over 4 years old. This is the pine from post #332 pictured in January. Despite the heavy work over the winter, the tree has grown tremendously. Here’s a side-by-side, January vs July.





S

 

[markyscott]

One of the big bends, January vs July.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Mr Scott...

Thank you for posting such detailed photos. I have to admit to being a fan of your pine work

 

[markyscott]

Twisty trunk line, January vs July. Love the way the bends have tightened up as the tree has thickened.





S